An Olympian’s Guide to Chasing Dreams and Befriending Pain
Aug 5, 2024
11:51
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In this episode, Alexi Pappas, an Olympian and acclaimed filmmaker, shares her inspiring journey from competing in the 10,000m at the 2016 Olympics to battling post-Olympic depression. She emphasizes the importance of storytelling and reframing personal narratives. Alexi discusses strategies for managing pain and mental health in athletics, illustrating how accepting challenges can lead to growth. Her insights offer a powerful reminder that the pursuit of dreams often requires embracing discomfort and a brave mindset.
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Quick takeaways
Reframing goals and personal narratives allows individuals to celebrate their perceived failures as achievements, profoundly affecting their emotional well-being.
Redefining bravery as an inward journey emphasizes the importance of addressing mental health struggles in the same way we address physical injuries.
Deep dives
The Power of Reframing Goals
Reframing goals and rewriting personal narratives can significantly impact how individuals perceive their experiences. By sharing her post-Olympic depression, the speaker highlights how changing one's perspective can turn perceived failures into achievements. For example, after realizing she could not meet her original time goal during the Chicago Marathon, she shifted her focus to simply finishing the race, which she celebrated as a victory. This approach demonstrates that the way we interpret our experiences dictates our emotions and emphasizes the importance of being the hero of one’s own story.
Redefining Bravery and Mental Health
The concept of bravery is explored as a choice to confront challenges and pursue personal goals despite fear. The speaker encourages individuals to view their mental health struggles similarly to physical injuries, advocating for understanding and treatment as part of self-care. By normalizing mental therapy much like physical therapy, individuals can empower themselves to heal and improve their relationship with their mental health. This shift in perspective encourages everyone to embrace their internal strength and redefine bravery as an inward journey rather than an outward label.
The Olympics are on! Have you been watching? We have. We can’t get enough. Which is why all this week we’ll be bringing you episodes that celebrate the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat. We’ll be joined by athletes and experts who’ll share hard-won wisdom that we can apply in our ordinary, non-Olympic lives.
Up first: Alexi Pappas. She ran the 10,000m at the 2016 games. She’s also a filmmaker and an award-winning writer whose work has appeared in The New York Times, Sports Illustrated, and The Atlantic. Today, she shares a few key insights from her memoir, “Bravey: Chasing Dreams, Befriending Pain, and Other Big Ideas.”